Minister thanks local refugee team

LAST week the Minister for Human Services, Senator Marise Payne, paid tribute to staff at the Fairfield Service Centre for their important work helping refugees. Fairfield is one of five sites in Australia to have a specialised refugee team.

"Most refugees arrive in Australia without money, assets or a support network of family and friends so the servicing team plays a vital role in helping new arrivals make the transition into their adopted community," the minister said.

"Fairfield Local Government Area has the largest number of refugee arrivals after Dandenong in Victoria."

Fairfield has one of Australia's most culturally diverse communities with about 73 per cent of the local population being from various cultural and linguistic backgrounds.